Spring coiling machine



Sept. 19, 1967 H. s. BOY

SPRING COILING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2, 1965 Sept. 19, 1967 H. G. BOY 3,342,052

SPRING comma MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 19, 1967 H. G. BOY 3,342,052

SPRING COILING MACHINE Filed Feb. 3, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 2, 1965 Sept. 19, 1967 H. G. BOY 3,342,052

SPRING COILING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,342.052 SPRING COILING MACHINE Harold G. Boy, Melrose Park, 11]., assignor to Lewis Spring & Manufacturing Co., a corporation of Illinois Filed Feb. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 429,788 9 Claims. (Cl. 72-138) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coiling machine having a floating coiling point that can move up and down relative to a wire guide as commonly known but which can also move in a floating plane in and out relative to the frame of the machine in timed relation to the feed of the wire and with the coiling point having a pair of coiling grooves lying in planes at angles to each other.

This invention relates to spring coiling machines and, more particularly, to a spring coiling machine having a floating coiling point.

As presently known, spring coiling machines are available in which a spring can be made with hooks or bends which are in the plane of coiling of the spring. These springs are made by means of a coiling point that can move toward and away from a wire guide and which can also move up and down relative to the wire guide as determined by the control mechanism of the machine. The coiling point of these machines does not have in and out movement and positioning in this plane of movement to form hooks, bends or coils at 90 to the plane of coiling or to form a hook or bend with the body of the spring having maximum initial tension. An object of this invention is to provide a spring coiling machine with a floating coiling point that can move in and out relative to the frame of the machine in a floating plane which is transverse to the coiling plane.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spring coiling machine having a floating coiling point positionable to place hooks, bends or coils at right angles to the plane of coiling of the body of the spring.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a spring coiling machine having a floating coiling point which can form a hook or bend in the wire with the body of the spring having maximum initial tension. A further object of the invention is to provide a coilmg point having a first groove for guiding a wire in a coiling path and a second groove extending transversely to said first groove to direct said wire along a path generally at right angles to the coiling path.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective, elevational view of a spring coiling machine forming a coil;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section, taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section, taken generally along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the coiling point and its actuating member in a different position;

FIG. 6 is a view of the coiling point, looking-in perspective from in front and below;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section, taken along the line 7-7 in FIG. 2 and showing the initial position of the coiling point in forming a spring;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the coiling point in a different position further in the formation of the spring;

FIG. 9 is a view in elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing the coiling point positioned to form convolutions in the spring;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the parts as positioned in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 110 showing the coiling point positioned prior to the formation of a bend at the final end of the spring;

FIG. 13 is a View similar to FIG. 12 showing the coiling point positioned after formation of a bend at the end of the spring;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a spring formed by the series of steps shown by the structure as positioned in FIGS. 7 to 13;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 7, showing the positioning of the coiling point for winding a spring with initial tension;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 showing the location of the coiling point for winding an open wound spring with right-hand winding;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another spring formed by the mechanism disclosed herein;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of still another spring wound by the structure of this invention; and

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another spring that can be made by the mechanism of this invention.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention together with modifications thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The spring coiling machine is shown generally in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is of the type disclosed in Bergevin et a1. Patent No. 2,119,002 and reference may be made to this patent for details of the general machine construction. The machine has a frame 10 with a front wall 11. The general drive mechanism for the machine is within the frame 10 and with the operative wire handling and coilforming parts disposed exteriorly of the frame and outwardly of the front wall 11. As generally known in these machines, initial wire guides 12 guide the wire to a final wire guide 13 at the point of forming the coil. One or more pairs of driven feed rollers are provided with one pair being shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the upper feed roller identified at 14 and the lower feed roller at 15. These feed rollers are suitably grooved to engage a wire 16 and advance it from right to left to the final wire guide 13.

As the wire is fed through the final wire guide 13, the wire is fed against a coiling point 20 which, when positioned suitably, causes the formation of a coil, as shown at 21 in FIG. 1. The coiling point has movement in a horizontal plane toward and away from the wire guide 13 by the mounting of the coiling point in a slide 25 (FIGS. 2 and 4) which is mounted in -guideways in the front wall 11 of the frame, with the lower guideway 26 shown in FIG. 4. The slide can be moved in and out in the manner described with respect to the slide in the above-mentioned Bergevin et a1. patent. In addition to the movement in the horizontal plane as provided by the, slide 25, it is also known to have the coiling point 20 move up and down relative to the wire guide 13 in the coiling plane and this is provided by a movable coiling point holder 30, shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. The holder is pivotally mounted on the slide 25 by rotatable mounting on a stud 31 secured to the slide 25 and having a bushing 32 on the outer end thereof. The movement of the coiling point 20 up and down and location of the point in any desired position along this path of movement is controlled by means including a cam shaft 40 extending outwardly from the front wall 11 of the machine and having a cam 41 thereon engageable with a cam follower system including a curved lever 42 pivoted on a pin 43 in a block 83 and connected to a link 44 which is pivotally connected at 45 to the coiling point holder 30. The limits of up and down movement of the coiling point and the holder 30 can be set by the upper adjustable bolt 46 and the lower adjustable bolt 47 carried on a bracket 48 fixed in stationary relation to the frame of the machine.

The foregoing structure is conventional and well-known in the art. A standard part of the machine is a cut-off knife for cutting off the coil from the continuous length of wire 16 with a lower knife shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 at 50 and being mounted in a holder 51 secured to a rockable shaft 52 operated at the proper time in a cycle to move upwardly in a clockwise direction and cut off the coil. The machine may also have a pitch piece (not shown) to control the pitch of the coil.

Refer-ring in more detail to the coiling point 20 as shown particularly in FIG. 6, the point has a body with a first groove 55 for receiving and guiding the wire in the formation of a coil and also usable in forming a hook or bend in the coiling plane as the coiling point 20 is moved up or down by means of the cam 41. This groove is normally of a dimension only slightly in excess of the diameter of the wire being utilized to form the spring and provides for guiding of the wire during its coiling formation into a spring. Additionally, and not heretofore known, is the provision of a second 90 coiling or bending groove 56 extending generally at right angles to the groove 55 and resulting in the coiling point 20 being able to direct the wire generally at 90 to the plane of coiling as caused by the groove 55. This coiling or bending groove 56 is selectively positionable because of the floating nature of the coiling point along a floating plane derived from movement of the coiling point in and out relative to the front 'wall 11 of the machine. The floating plane extends transversely to the coiling plane.

The mounting of the coiling point 20 to have movement in the floating plane normal to the front wall 11 of the machine is provided by a movable block 60 which is pivotally mounted on the holder 30 by means of a pin 61 extending between the holder and the block. The block 60 is fitted within a recess in the holder 30 and urged to an inner position by a spring 62 surrounding a bolt 63 which is threaded into the base of the holder 30, as indicated at 64, with the spring positioned between a Washer 65 adjacent the exposed headed end of the bolt and the exposed face of the block 60. The innermost position of the coiling point and its mounting block is determined by an adjustable bolt 66 threaded in the block and having an end abutting the holder 30, as shown in FIG. 4. The coiling point 20 is shown in its innermost position in FIG. 4 and also in FIG. 3.

Means are provided for moving the coiling point 20 in the floating plane to a position further away from the front wall 11 of the machine. This means comprises a cam slide 70 movably mounted for up and down movement on the front wall 11 of the machine by a pair of headed bolts 71 and 72 engaged within elongate slots 73 and 74, respectively in the cam slide. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cam slide 70 is in its lower position in which a recess 75 is at the level of the 'block 60 mounting the coiling point whereby the spring 62 is effective to urge the coiling point to its innermost position in the floating plane. As distinct from this, the cam slide 70 is shown in an elevated position in FIG. wherein a raised surface 76 on the cam slide is at the level of the coiling point mounting block 60 to shift the coiling point outwardly against the action of the spring 62. Variations in the outward positioning of the coiling point can be obtained by the utilization of a diflerent shape of cam slide 70, with different heights for the raised surface 76.

The positioning of the cam slide and, therefore, the position of the coiling point 29 is controlled by a cam 80 on the cam shaft 46 which engages a cam follower 81 mounted on a lever 82 pivotally mounted on the block 83 and having a lever 84 connected thereto by means of a rotatable connecting pin 85. The lever 84 engages the underside of the cam slide 79, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, whereby the elevation of the upper end of the lever 84 determines the location of the cam slide. The cam slide '70 is caused to follow the lever 84 by means of a torsion spring 86, having an end 87 fastened to the machine frame and the opposite end 88 engageable with the top end of the cam slide 70.

An illustration of a type of spring made by utilization of the floating coiling point 20 is shown partially formed in FIG. 1 and, particularly, in FIG. 14. This spring 21 has a body with a hook 90 formed at an end of the spring and a second hook 91 formed at the other end thereof. The hook 90 is formed as the initial part of a coil which, if continued, would lie at right angles to the plane of coiling of the body of the spring 21 which is an operation that can only be formed by the movement of the coiling point in the floating plane and utilization of the bending groove 56 thereof. The formation of this spring is more particularly shown in FIGS. 7 to 13. In FIG. 7, the coiling point 24) is in its innermost position in the floating plane because the cam slide 70 is down and inoperative in positioning of the coiling point. An initial length of wire is fed out of the wire guide 13 by initial move ment of the feed rolls 14 and 15. This establishes a straight length of wire for forming the initial part of the hook 99. The coiling point is in elevated position to place the coiling groove 56 at the level of the wire. The cam slide 70 is then raised to shift the coiling point outwardly in the floating plane to the position of FIG. 8 to make the bend 92 with the wire lying in the groove 56, as shown particularly in FIG. 9. The wire again advances, as moved by the feed rolls 14 and 15, and the coiling point 20 moves downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 9 to the position shown in FIG. 10 wherein the wire 16 is formed into the initial convolution of the body of the spring. The coiling .point has also moved rearwardly to the position of FIG. 11. This initial convolution is formed by the wire moving in the coiling groove 55 of the coiling point 20. The wire continues to be fed with further convolutions being formed, as shown in FIG. 11. As the body of the spring is substantially completed, the coiling point 24 drops downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 12, wherein a length of wire is advanced straight from the wire guide 13. As a final step, the coiling point 20 is elevated to the position shown in FIG. 13, wherein the bend is made to form the final hook 91 and thereafter the cutoff knife 50 is moved to cut the spring from the length of wire 16.

FIGS. 7 to 13 illustrate the function of the floating coiling point in forming a spring with a hook or bend at right angles to the plane of coiling the body of the spring. Another illustration of this same function of the coiling point is shown in the spring of FIG. 17 in which the body 95 is formed similarly to the body of the spring 21; however, the initial end of the spring is formed with a hook 96 and a portion of a coil is shown at 97, which in effect, is formed at right angles to the plane of the body 95 of the spring. The hook 96 is formed by moving the coiling point out with the wire engaged by the groove 56. The section 97 is formed by the positioning of the coiling point 20 similarly to that shown in FIG. 8 and with the wire fed continuously.

Other illustrations of springs are shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 wherein the floating coiling point has utility to permit forming of a hook or bend at an end of the spring while the body of the spring has maximum initial tension. In the spring of FIG. 18, the body 98 has an end formed with a hook 99 with the hook formed similarly to the manner illustrated in FIG. 8 and where the convolutions of the body are formed with maximum initial tension. The forming of the spring with initial tension is illustrated in FIG. wherein the groove 55 of the coiling point is outwardly of the wire feed line, so that the convolution being formed is directed back toward itself to place initial tension in the spring. As distinct from this, and as shown in FIG. 16, the floating coiling point can be positioned inwardly of the wire feed line to result in a loose-wound spring. To form the spring of FIG. 18, the coiling point 20 must initially lineup the groove 55 with the wire feed line to receive the leading end of the wire and then the coiling point 20 must shift outwardly to the position shown in FIG. 15 to place maximum initial tension on the wire forming the body of the coil. The floating coiling point has three different operative positions when it is in its outermost position. It can be in an upper position, to render the bending groove 56 operative; it ian be in an intermediate position, wherein the groove 55 is operative to form the windings with maximum initial tension; or the coiling point can be in its lowermost position, such as shown in FIG. 12.

Another illustration of spring is shown in FIG. 19 wherein a spring has a body 100 wherein a hook 101 and a coil section 102 can be formed at one end and wherein the body 100 can also be placed under maximum initial tension due to the movement of the coiling point in the floating plane.

It will be appreciated that although reference is made herein to springs that the principles illustrated could also be used in formation of coils, as made from copper wire rather than spring wire. Also, the principles disclosed herein could be utilized with either tension or compression springs as well as torsion springs. The floating nature of the coiling point enables the coiling point to have the groove 55 in line to pick up wire for a hook formation while still permitting shift of the coiling point to have either initial tension on the spring or an open wound spring.

I claim:

1. A spring coiling machine comprising, a wire guide, means for feeding a wire through said wire guide, a coiling point spaced from said wire guide, means mounting said coiling point for up and down movement relative to said wire guide, means mounting said coiling point in a floating plane for in and out movement in a direction transverse to the length of the wire emitted from the wire guide, and driven means operating in timed relation for moving said coiling point either simultaneously or sequentially in both modes of movement to form a spring with a wound body and a curved end.

2. A spring coiling machine comprising, a frame, a wire guide on said frame, wire feed means on said frame for advancing a wire through and beyond the wire guide, a coiling point on said frame facing the wire guide for contact with wire extending outwardly of the wire guide, a coiling point holder movably mounted for up and down movement, means for moving said coiling point holder including a cam shaft, a mounting block carrying the coiling point, means mounting the mounting block on the holder for movement about a generally upright pivot axis for movement of the coiling point in or out relative to the frame and in a floating plane, means urging the mounting block to an innermost position, means for adjustably setting the innermost position of the block including a member threaded in the block and engaging the holder, and means for positioning the mounting block and coiling point at a desired location in the floating plane.

3. A spring coiling machine comprising, a frame, a wire guide on said frame for guiding a wire to a coiling station, means for feeding wire through said guide to said coiling station, a coiling point at said station, and means mounting said coiling point for movement in three mu- 6 tually perpendicular planes whereby the position of the coiling point relative to the wire guide can be adjusted as to distance, elevation and in or out alignment, said coiling point having a first coiling groove lying in one of said planes and a second coiling groove lying in a plane at an angle to said first coiling groove.

4. A spring coiling machine as defined in claim 3 including driven means for moving said coiling point in timed relation to the wire feeding means to locate one or the other of said grooves in operative relation to the wire.

5. A spring coiling machine as defined in claim 3 in which said coiling point has a first coiling groove for directing a wire issuing from the wire guide in a generally vertical plane, and a second coiling groove for directing a wire issuing from the wire guide in a generally horizontal plane.

6. A coiling point usable in a spring coiling machine comprising, a body with a face, a first coiling groove formed on said face and of a size to receive a length of wire therein and guide the wire in changing the direction of travel thereof, and a second coiling groove formed on the face and of a size to receive a length of wire therein and guide the Wire in changing the direction thereof, said coiling grooves lying along axes which intersect at generally right angles to each other.

7. A spring coiling machine comprising, a frame, a wire guide on said frame, wire feed means on said frame for advancing a wire through and beyond the wire guide, a coiling point on said frame facing the wire guide for contact with Wire extending outwardly of the wire guide, a coiling point holder movably mounted for up and down movement, means for moving said coiling point holder up and down, means mounting the coiling point on the holder for movement about a generally upright pivot axis for movement of the coiling point in or out relative to the frame and in a floating plane, means for positioning the coiling point at a desired location in the floating plane including a cam slide mounted for up and down movement relative to said coiling point and having a cam contour, and means for positioning said cam slide.

8. A spring coiling machine comprising, a frame, a wire guide on said frame, wire feed means on said frame for advancing a wire through and beyond the wire guide, a coiling point on said frame facing the wire guide for contact with wire extending outwardly of the wire guide, a slide movably mounted on said frame for movement toward and away from the wire guide, a coiling point holder movably mounted on said slide for up and down movement, means for moving said coiling point holder including a cam shaft, a cam on said cam shaft, and a cam follower mechanism including a link pivotally connected to said holder, a mounting block carrying the coiling point, means mounting the mounting block on the holder for movement about an upright pivot axis for movement of the coiling point in or out relative to the frame and in a floating plane including a pivot pin passing through the mounting block, means urging the mounting block to an innermost position including a bolt fastened in the holder and extending through an opening in the block and a spring surrounding said bolt and engaged between the block and an exposed end of the bolt, means for adjustably setting the innermost position of the block including a member threaded in the block and engaging the holder, and means for positioning the mounting block and coiling point at a desired location in the floating plane including a cam slide mounted for up and down movement relative to said block and engageable therewith and having a cam contour, and means for positioning said cam slide including cam means on said cam shaft, and motion transmitting connections between the cam means and the cam slide.

9. A spring coiling machine comprising, a frame, a wire guide on said frame, wire feed means on said frame for advancing a wire through and beyond the wire guide,

a coiling point on said frame facing the wire guide for contact with wire extending outwardly of the wire guide, a slide movably mounted on said frame for movement toward and away from the wire guide, a coiling point holder movably mounted on said slide for up and down movement, means for moving said coiling point holder up and down, a mounting block carrying the coiling point, means mounting the mounting block on the holder for movement about a generally upright pivot axis for movement of the coiling point in or out relative to the frame and in a floating plane, means urging the mounting block to one limit position, means for adjustably setting said limit position, and means for positioning the mounting block and coiling point at a desired location in the floating plane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,266,070 5/1918 Sleeper 72-432 2,119,002 5/1938 Bergevin et al 72138 2,170,984 8/1939 Bergevin et al 72138 10 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

L. A LARSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SPRING COILING MACHINE COMPRISING, A WIRE GUIDE, MEANS FOR FEEDING A WIRE THROUGH SAID WIRE GUIDE, A COILING POINT SPACED FROM SAID WIRE GUIDE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID COILING POINT FOR UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID WIRE GUIDE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID COILING POINT IN A FLOATING PLANE FOR IN AND OUT MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE LENGTH OF THE WIRE EMITTED FROM THE WIRE GUIDE, AND DRIVEN MEANS OPERATING IN TIMED RELATION FOR MOVING SAID COILING POINT SIMULTANEOUSLY OR SEQUENTIALLY IN BOTH MODES OF MOVEMENT TO FORM A SPRING WITH A WOUND BODY AND A CURVED END. 